History of Bonzai Network
The following article compiles the history of Bonzai Network, an American cable and satellite television channel owned by BritCan Television Group, itself owned by BritCan Entertainment. 1994–1996: Origins and development In April 1994, media conglomerate BritCan Media debuted the three-channel Cable Networks suite, composed of TravestyTV, Spectacle, and Reel, Launch and early years Bonzai officially launched on May 25, 1996 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time, with an introductory message from then-general manager Jessica Jensen, followed by the pilot episode of its first-ever original series Bunched Up!. At the time of its launch, Bonzai was available to over 7.3 million subscribers via national cable television providers Cablevision, Time Warner Cable, and Comcast. During its first few years, Bonzai's programming lineup consisted mainly of live-action and animated television series from its in-house production arm Bonzai Originals, in addition to foreign-imported shows from content producers around the world, many of which came from Canada through media company Nelvana. Original programming during this period included the cartoon series Bryan Goes Bananas!, Donut Dash, MSA: Miyamoto Superhero Academy, and Wackyville Newshound; the live variety show Studio Bonzai; and live-action programs such as the aforementioned Bunched Up!, The Mysterious Life of John Doe, St. Sawicki's Typewriter, and Vanguard: Institute for the Gifted. Bonzai was originally marketed as a service exclusive to digital cable, a result of BritCan's strategy to capitalize on the platform's growing interest from viewers. By late 1996, however, the company would soon place a mandate on cable operators to move its suite of networks onto a basic cable tier, in addition to reaching new carriage agreements with digital satellite services DirecTV and Dish Network. Following this move, Bonzai's national distribution would grow from 15.8 million households in September 1997 to 32.2 million in April 1998, and later 43.7 million by March 1999. In 1998, Bonzai expanded to international markets with the launch of a feed in the United Kingdom and Ireland in July, followed by the debut of a Latin American feed in September of the same year. 2002–2009: Refocus and first "golden age" Despite now being available in over 50 million homes by the fall of 2001, Bonzai continued its struggle to build an established audience, suffering from a severe erosion in viewership as a result; network executives attributed failing performance towards the channel's heavy reliance on acquired programming and movies, in addition to a lack of successful original content. Noting that its family-friendly approach would not support the network in the long-term, BritCan Cable Networks president Andrew Colbert fired Bonzai's management team in November of 2001, appointing veteran television executive Samuel Cohen as the channel's president and bringing in other creative executives to reposition the service, leading to what would be known by many as the channel's "golden age". These plans culminated on April 22, 2002, when Bonzai underwent a significant relaunch to reflect the network's programming strengths, shifting its target demographic to kids, pre-teens, and teenagers full-time. Accompanying its change in focus was the introduction of a brand-new logo and on-air imaging design created by ASZARI Studios, as well as the network premiere of Chicken Run. During this time, Bonzai's programming began to experience significant success with the premieres of Derick's Daring Life (a sitcom centered on a teenage skateboarder attempting to become the best daredevil in town) and The Geeky & The Glamorous ''(a mockumentary series focusing on the relationships between different social groups in junior high school); both debuted to record viewership in their Friday night timeslot and attracted not only children and advertisers, but teenage audiences as well. Inspired by the success of ''Derick ''and ''G&G, Bonzai began intentionally skewing its live-action series towards the teen demographic, in an effort that bolstered viewership levels and soon made the network "the fastest-growing cable channel in the United States". Bonzai's major breakthrough would come with the premiere of the fantasy drama Michelle Sparks: Half-Human, Half-Fairy, debuting in June 2003 to a total 7.987 million viewers, back then the highest-rated telecast in channel's history. Michelle Sparks, in addition to freshman series Bayside High, Lee Street Kids, and Miami Five, would become the inaugural lineup for ''Bonzai4Teen, ''a new three-hour primetime block launched in September 2004. 2010–present: Current era TBA Category:Bonzai Network Category:Histories